Hypodermic needle sharpener



0d 21, 1947' G. w. JAcoBY, JR

HYPODERMIC NEEDLE SHARPENER Filed NOV. 23, 1946 www@ 1- IhILlULx m M Q Patented Oct. 21, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HYPODERMIC NEEDLE SHARPENER George W. Jacoby, Jr., Wooster, Ohio Application November 23, 1946, Serial No. 711,850

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a device for sharpening hypodermic needles. In its preferred embodiment, the invention may be briefly described as a motor-driven grinding wheel combined with a device in which the hypodermic needles may be quickly and easily clamped in proper relation to the grinding wheel and mechanism for reciproeating the needle axially of the grinding wheel.

The objects of the invention include the following:

Accurate sharpening of hypodermic needles.

The provision of mechanism for sharpening needles which is power driven and automatic in operation.

The incorporation in a machine for sharpening hypodermic needles of means for quickly, easily and precisely mounting the needles in the machine.

The provision of a machine of the character described involving a minimum of mechanical ,complications and which may be largely fabricated from conventional elements.

Other objects and advantages of the invention more or less ancillary to those listed will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description herein of the preferred mode of application of the invention.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevationof a machine incorporating the principles of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation.

Fig. 3 is a yplan View of the needle clamp; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed view illustrating the application of the point of the needle to the grinding wheel.

Referring to the drawings, the machine comprises a base plate II to which are bolted or otherwise secured two uprights I2 in which the grinding wheel shaft I3 is journalled. The cylindrical abrasive wheel I4 is Xed on the shaft |3 between the uprights I2 and is driven by an electric motor I5 through an Oldham coupling I6. The motor I5, which is mounted on the base plate II in any convenient manner, is preferably of a type commonly employed in oscillating fans which incorporates a reduction gear mechanism I 1 driving a crankshaft I 8 at slow speed. The crankshaft I8 is employed to reciprocate the needle 2| axially of the grinding wheel, as will be described.

The hypodermic needle 2| comprises a capillary tube 22 and a shank 23. The shank is customarily formed with opposed external parallel at surfaces 24 and a socket 25. In order to mount the needle in proper relation to the grinding Wheel with a minimum of effort, it is retained by a clamping device 26 comprising a body 21 having a reduced cylindrical end portion or arbor 28 proportioned to t within the socket 25 of the needle. The jaws of two clamping members 29, pivoted on ears 3| extending from the body 21, are urged into engagement with the flats 24 of the needle by a compression spring 32 secured to the outer ends of the clamping members and passing through an opening 33 in the body. The needle is thus mounted for grinding by simply compressing together the portions 34 of the clamping members to open the jaws, slipping the needle over the arbor 28, and releasing the clamp to engage the flats 24, The member 21 is adjustably clamped to a reciprocating member 36 by means of a bolt 31, thumb nut 38, and Washer 39. The reciprocating member 36 is mounted on a rod *4| slidable in bearings 42 in a bracket 43 integral with or secured to the base plate II. The end 44 of the rod 4| is flattened and is coupled by a pin 45 to the clevised upper end of a lever 46 pivoted on a pin 41 passing through a clevised extension 43 of the bracket 43. The lower end of the lever 46 is coupled by means of a ball and socket joint, or other arrangement permitting flexibility of motion, to a connecting rod 49, the other end of which is pivoted on the crank 5| of the oscillating mechanism of the motor. Thus when the motor runs the rod 4I will be reciprocated through the crank 5|, connecting rod 49, and lever 46. The needle clamp supporting member 36 is provided with a set screw 53 loosely received in a circumferential keyway 54 in the rod 4|. The member 36 is thus constrained to oscillate with the rod "4| but is free to rotate about the rod. The needle is held in engagement with the grinding wheel I4, as illustrated in Figs- 2 and 4, by the weight of the clamping device.

For convenience in clamping the needle in the machine the clamping device may preferably be rotated clockwise from the position illustrated in Fig. 2. After the needle is clamped the thumb nut 38 may be released if desired and the members 33 and 21 may be rotated relatively to each other to adjust the angle between the point of the needle vand the surface of the grinding wheel, which, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4, should be an acute angle. The machine is thus readily adaptable to needles of various lengths by adjustment of the angle between the members 21 and 36. When the needle has been clamped in place and the clamp adjusted to obtain the correct angle between the needle and grinding wheel,

common in oscillating fans minimizes the cost and complexity of the device.

The selection of an appropriate abrasive wheel forms no part of the invention. Any suitable wheel, either a solid wheel, or a drum bearing an abrasive cloth, may be used, and both are regarded as comprehended within the term abrasive wheel used herein.

Although the foregoing description is necessarily of a detailed character, in order that the invention may be completely set forth, it is to be understood that the speciiic terminology is not intended to be restrictive or confining, and that various rearrangements of parts and modifications of detail may be resorted to without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as herein claimed.

I claim:

1. A sharpening device for hypodermic needles comprising a rotatable abrasive wheel, a body reciprocable parallel to the axis of the wheel, a needle carrier mounted on the body, and means for relatively adjusting the body and carrier to provide the correct angular relation between the needle and wheel for needles of various lengths, the body being freely rotatable with respect to its axis of rotation and biased to hold the needle against the wheel, the needle carrier comprising an arbor adapted to enter the shank of the needle and a clamp adapted to engage the exterior of the shank.

2. A sharpening device for hypodermic needles comprising a rotatable abrasive wheel, a body reciprocable parallel to the axis of the wheel, a needle carrier mounted on the body, and means for relatively adjusting the body andcarrier to provide the correct angular relation between the needle and wheel for needles of various lengths, the body being freely rotatable with respect to its axis of reciprocation so that the needle is pressed against the wheel by the weight of the carrier and body, the needle carrier comprising an arbor adapted to enter the shank of the needle and a spring clamp adapted to engage the exterior of the shank.

3. A sharpening device for hypodermic needles comprising an abrasive wheel, a motor for rotating the wheel, a part reciprocable parallel to the axis of the wheel, a body reciprocable with the part, a needle carrier mounted on the body, means for relatively adjusting the body and carrier to provide the correct angular relation be tween the needle and wheel for needles of various lengths, the body being freely rotatable with respect to the part so that the needle is pressed against the wheel by the weight of the carrier and body, a shaft driven by the motor at a slow speed relative to the abrasive Wheel, and means coupling the shaft -to the part for reciprocation thereof.

4. A sharpening device for hypodermic needles comprising an abrasive wheel, a motor for rotating the wheel, a part reciprocable parallel to the axis of the wheel, a body reciprocable with the part, a needle carrier mounted on the body, means for relatively adjusting the body and car- -rier' to1 provide the correct angular relation between the needle and wheel for needles of various lengths, the body being freely rotatable with respect to the part and biased so that the needle is pressed against the wheel, a shaft driven by the motor at a slow speed relative to the abrasive wheel, and means coupling the shaft to the part for reciprocation thereof.

5. A sharpening device for hypodermic needles comprising an ab-rasive wheel, a motor for rotating the wheel, a part reciprocable parallel to the axis of the wheel, a body reciprocable with the part, a needle carrier mounted on the body, means for relatively adjusting the body and carrier to provide the correct angular relation between the needle and wheel for needles of various lengths, the body being freely rotatable with respect to the part so that the needle is pressed against the wheel by the weight of the carrier and body, a shaft driven by the motor at a slow speed relative to the abrasive wheel, and means coupling the shaft to the part for reciprocation thereof, the needle carrier comprising an arbor adapted to enter the shank of the needle and a spring clamp adapted to engage the exterior of the shank.

6. In a machine for sharpening hypodermic needles having a tubular shank, means for holding the needles in the desired relation to the sharpening device comprising a carrier formed with an arbor adapted to enter the shank, a spring clamp mounted on the carrier and adapted to engage the exterior of the shank and retain it on the arbor, a support for the carrier, and means for adjusting the position of the carrier with respect to the support to position needles of various lengths in correct relation to the sharpening device.

7. In a machine for sharpening hypodermic needles having a tubular shank, means for holding the needles in the desired relation to the sharpening device comprising a carrier formed with an arbor adapted to enter the shank, a spring clamp mounted on the carrier and adapted to engage the interior of the shank and retain it on the arbor, and a support for the carrier.

GEORGE W. JACOBY, JR. 

